The 4 East team recently cared for an extremely nice woman who was anxious due to frequent hospitalizations related to her chronic condition. None of her hospitalizations went according to plan and each one came with its own set of complications, which always prolonged her stays. The patient requested to see me, but the team did not know why.
As soon as I introduced myself, she launched into a long list of the reasons why Lisa is by far the best nurse she ever had. Lisa is attentive, listens without judging, is always reassuring, and the list kept going! As I round I would stop in or she'd ask to talk to me and the conversations always centered around Lisa's nursing care. The patient shared with me how anxious she was knowing she was having yet another surgery, but how she immediately felt calm and reassured when she knew Lisa was working that day. Along with repeated surgeries, this last admission required more than one trip to the OR, her pain is hard to control and she watches the clock. Lisa is proactive in her care, keeps a pulse on her pain level, and brings her pain medication before the patient rings the bell.
The patient has stated on more than one occasion how Lisa knows what is needed before it is asked for. The patient rarely has visitors and looks forward to seeing Lisa. She even requested Lisa as her nurse on the days she works. Most of the time the request was granted, but on the days when Lisa is an independent facilitator or needed to take a different pod assignment, Lisa stops by to say hello. Lisa is proactive in her patient's care and even uses the timer on her phone to remind her when to hang the patient's next medication and she always rounds with intent.